<p>Thomas Benner, the author of this, the first in his Utopia Saga of SF novels, has had a career as varied as his characters. Benner is an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Army. He served during the Vietnam era in a variety of postings. A Deaf, disabled veteran, Thomas has been a clinical psychologist, a bison rancher in Montana, a corporate executive, an educator, and a SCUBA instructor. For fun, he has sailed the oceans in wind-powered sailboats, climbed mountains, and flown airplanes. He brings this remarkably diverse background into the writing of his inaugural science fiction novel, the first in a Saga of ten novels. Married, he and his wife Renalyn live in Spokane, Washington, along with his small herd of English Mastiffs.</p>